Bear and Frog

Run Eight: Bear and Frog

[Still evening Phoenix 3]

We begin the run standing over the post-exploded (but still identifiable) body of Marsha (except Nesh who is still with Thistle in Marsha's rooms).

Diomarche could inform the Rush temple. There's less hue and cry than we would expect. He heads that way at a fast canter. A crowd (but not guards) starts to gather. Vidan tells everyone to move along.

Nesh stays hidden on the roof at Marsha's, and spots Joseph showing up. Nesh goes down to talk to him (not yet knowing she is dead or Broken). "You have anything to say for yourself?" "She stole something she *really* shouldn't have." "That is not an acceptable reason to take advantage of the god's wishes." "I suspect I'm working for a different god...?" Nesh clarifies: she took the Duchess's signet ring. Hmm. He goes off in the direction Nesh says Marsha went.

A guy wanders up and gets briefed by the (intentionally remaining) crowd. (Probably Joseph, but we don't recognize him).

Back at the dead body, the priest of Rush shows up. He says "I'll take care of it" and meets the guy's eyes.

We walk back by the scene of the crime and collect Nesh. Vidan writes a report, clearly blaming Marsha and dropping hints about the unnamed confidential sources who recovered the ring being hopeful of the Duchess's generosity.

Vidan thinks we are being slotted into the "can be usefully hired" category rather than a "friend/ally" category. Vidan tries to slant it into "heroes against the breaker" rather than "mercenaries" but we also aren't Darstan-in-particular-against-King-Richard allies.

We find Thistle at dinnertime, and hand over the (about two loot) reward.

Joseph starts to steal Nesh, which wakes Vidan (but not Managaratha). "Joseph, priest of Jord, meet Vidan, priest of Navere." "That explains the midnight meeting."

You have offended Jord's rules in service of a cause I admit was worthy. I am pleased to see that has been revealed and dealt with. I would recommend that you do not attempt to make contact with the underworld in the rest of Red, because they will be aware of the actions you have taken.

Vidan: rather than effective communal expulsion, is there some rite or trial to cleanse the stain?

If he chooses to petition for such a thing, he might be able to. But it would require a commitment that I think he is unwilling to make at this time. He approached us with the posture of one who wished to contract for a time - he would have to follow through on that request. Nesh offers to carry things around, but that isn't sufficient.

If there is a Breaker-related problem with the underworld in Red, should Nesh bring it to his door? Certainly.

Anyway, Nesh apologizes for stepping on the underworld's toes and will try to avoid that in future. No official retribution. (Probably not friends of Marsha planning to retaliate unless they are also Bent).

Vidan puts an ecumenical blessing on him for following his organization's rules.

We otherwise make it to morning.

[Phoenix 4]

Off to the Plains of Geddon! We boat northward. There are some weird birds. One starts swooping in - hey, that's not a bird. That's a centaur that's half pegasus instead of half horse. Huh.

"Managaratha, you old rascal! This close and you didn't stop to say hi?" (He also has a tiny horn). He says there was a note left in his house. He introduces himself as Christafenios and invites everyone to tea. We follow him to his house, which is not far from the road between Darstan and the Plains.

He has a nice centaur-flavored house, and a monkey who makes us tea.

Eventually Vadim asks about the note.

All right. Things should have started by now, and that means that hopefully you saved the queen in Green and you might have met Lisetera by now. She's exciting. You will have to go with her eventually, but probably not first. If you haven't met her yet, probably soon - middle of Phoenix at the latest. The Slith are going to start moving shortly. Those are the wars - the Slith and the orcs. Getting some word to the merfolk and trying to coordinate them with at least Melmane is on the agenda. Might be before Lisetera, maybe after. They're selling the swords - watch that. And if you didn't deal with the ring, go to Darstan.

"So, I have been farther forward and expected myself to be fragged, but not as fragged as I am. (Middlesea is super-fraggy). Good good."

"Oh, worse than precog." -Vadim

(Slith are established in the Broken Seas, which stretch to al Jabar. There are probably fewer than four Slith countries underwater, and they've been pushed north, since Original Comet. Also there's a merfolk country underwater.)

He's still looking for a unicorn. (that's an elder race, like dragons). They can probably heal red magic damage.

We stop at an inn for the night.

[Phoenix 5]

Things seem more defensive and less prosperous than traveling across Orange. (Orange is Italian renaissance, and more vulnerable to sacking by Goths; this is medieval Europe.

Another uneventful day of sailing, another inn.

Stella notices: that wall was just repaired yesterday. The innkeeper reassures her - surely no more bears will be back. There was the flying bear, and the giant bear came through the wall. Something hit the bears in the area and they all got a little weird. Stella goes off to heal people who were hurt in the bear attack. (Kathy got badly mauled).

There are three: the flying bear, the sharp bear, and the giant bear. These are more aggressive than normal bears, too.

Kathy hasn't really heard of the Three-Faced Goddess, but grudgingly says thank you.

We follow the giant bear tracks backwards. We find a cave. No bears in residence, though there are feathers.

We are heading back to the village as the owlbear jumps us.

We chop the owl bear a while - then it gets big and roars and stands up. Navere thinks it might be time to run. Stella puts the giant bear in time-out and Gale coordinates some attacks, so we're still making progress.

Vidan dubs Nesh "Bearslayer". We drag it back into town. "Bear's Head Inn" gets true named by Vadim. (Marta and Jack are the innkeepers).

[Phoenix 6]

A little more flying, and then the Plains.

Diomarch briefs the Lord Commander, including that "the kid" is being hunted by slith.

After a bit, someone comes to take Nesh away for questions about his past and the sword. (Nesh remembers that a Blue saurian said he probably couldn't take the sword away).

Vadim walks around the camp - the non-Paladin side is more temporary, and there is some dismissiveness towards a priest of Navere, though no hostility,

Gale wanders around the camp. The inner section is strangely non-walled, but clearly aware of Gale scoping things out. Are there sad/disgruntled people who didn't get their petition heard? Those could be adventures! One man says he was looking for help for his missing (17yo) daughter who left home two weeks ago and has not come back. His house is between King Richard's Lands and Berana. Stella thinks that what needs fixing is that his daughter got hit with a red spell - she is a frog in a stream near her house, and a noble has to kiss her. Hmm.

Diomarch gets a six-day pass. We get there in four without anything. Gale and Diomarche do not successfully kiss the frog, but Nesh turns her back into a girl. He starts to get an existential crisis, but then decides it was his saurian resistance.

[Phoenix 12] Vadim just manages to get us back in time after some boat travel to get closer.

+5 / +5